19 Oct 2026

Westfalia Fruit connects Colombia’s diverse avocado growing regions to the U.S. market

Westfalia Fruit, a global leader in the avocado industry, now grows and sources avocados from 7 key regions in Colombia. Each region brings its own climate, altitude and rhythm, and that diversity is what allows Westfalia Fruit to offer consistent, high-quality avocados all year round with promotable volume all season long.

With own farms cover 700 hectares, alongside a partner grower network of 3,373 hectares, in the diverse growing regions of Antioquia, Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda, Cundinamarca, Valle del Cauca and Huilaand facilitating a reach, matched by depth on the ground, packed at the company’s packhouses in Sonsón and Guarne.

Westfalia Fruit works closely with partner growers through technical training, linking the science of the tree to the fruit that reaches the retail shelf. Growers work with balanced nutrition tailored to each orchard, precision irrigation, climate monitoring, and dry matter tracking - held to tighter standards. These controls are backed by the company’s owned nurseries, high performing root-stocks and its R&D and disease control lab. Alongside this sits reforestation and pollinator projects, restoring natural ecosystems of the regions where the company grows.

That same care carries through the journey north. Westfalia Fruit holds strict loading temperatures and full cold chain control from packhouse to port, shipping through Santa Marta and Cartagena with traceability at every stage. On reaching the United States, fruit is managed through a dual model: either ripened to specification in three to five days or held in cold storage at 41°F, then delivered to the distribution center at 40 to 42°F, so it arrives exactly as each customer needs it.

Colombia is one of Westfalia Fruit’s key growing regions for the U.S. market, alongside Mexico, Peru, California and Chile. This regional diversification extends seasonality and brings fruit closer to market, keeping the path from rootstock to retail consistent for customers, whichever origin the fruit comes from.

“Colombia plays an important role in keeping our U.S. customers supplied all year round, and its proximity to the United States means fresher fruit and shorter journeys,” says Tommy Padilla, President and CEO of Westfalia Fruit North America. “With our own farms, our packhouses and a strong network of partner growers, we know the fruit, the regions and the people who grow it. That knowledge is what lets us bring real consistency to our customers in the United States, season after season.”

“Beyond the campaign itself, we are deepening our footprint in our U.S.-facing origins, particularly Peru and Colombia, where our partner grower networks are still expanding, and using regional diversification to extend seasonality and bring fruit closer to market,” says Tommy.

For U.S. retailers, foodservice distributors and wholesalers, the result is consistent, high-quality Colombian avocados all year round, delivered with the quality, service and reliability that come from knowing the ground the fruit grows in.

Reader enquiries

Westfalia Fruit Group

www.westfaliafruit.com

WestfaliaFruit

avoexperts

westfaliafruitp

Notes for editors

About the Westfalia Fruit Group

The multinational Westfalia Fruit Group is a leading supplier of fresh and convenience avocado products to international markets. The Group also offers a wider, diverse basket of fruit and related products through its vertically integrated supply chain throughout the year. Founded more than 75 years ago on guiding environmental, social, governance, and sustainability principles, these practices, rooted in the legacy of our founder, Dr Hans Merensky, remain at the heart of everything the Group does.

Today, operating in 17 countries across five continents, the Westfalia Fruit Group prides itself on advancing sustainable agricultural practices and being a responsible corporate citizen within the communities in which it operates.

As a frontrunner in the avocado industry, with involvement across the entire supply chain, from the selection of plant material through to supply to customers globally, Westfalia Fruit grows, sources, ripens, packs, processes, and markets accredited avocados around the world. Convenience avocado products include guacamole, smashed avocado, avocado cubes, slices and halves, avocado oils and dried mango.

Westfalia Fruit grows fruit in all major origins across the Americas and Africa and also sources from partner orchards, giving the Group one of the most diverse avocado-growing footprints in the world. Westfalia Fruit’s dynamic and integrated supply chain, spanning from research to the consumer, benefits all stakeholders. The Group’s research division, Westfalia Technological Services, is the world’s largest privately funded subtropical fruit research unit. Its dedicated team of scientists and technicians focuses on varietal development, innovation, and environmental matters, and plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the global avocado industry.

A supplier of choice to retail, wholesale, and foodservice customers, Westfalia Fruit operates sales offices across the UK, Europe, North America, Latin America, southern Africa, and Asia. Pack and product formats are tailored to customer requirements, delivering quality, service, and innovation. For more information, visit www.westfaliafruit.com.